Battlefield Restoration & Archaeological Volunteer Organization

Archaeology - Historic Preservation - Public Education

NOTE: Meetings are held at the Old Scott's Hall, at Old Tennent Church, 448 Tennent Road, Manalapan New Jersey. Meetings will be held on the first Monday of February, April, June, August, October, and December starting at 7:00 pm. For non-members, please confirm at least one week in advance via email at bravodigs@gmail.com.

Welcome to BRAVO, a nonprofit organization whose members are interested in the preservation and correct interpretation of New Jersey's historical past.

BRAVO volunteers gain a great deal of archaeological experience working at various sites throughout New Jersey as well as in other states and countries, but our main focus is battlefield archaeology. Through the use of metal detectors, total station laser transits, and standard archaeological work, we are uncovering clues to the state's past and correcting many misconceptions in written history.

Our ongoing project is an archaeological investigation into the Battle of Monmouth in Freehold, NJ, one of the most important battles of the Revolutionary War. A very large, lengthy and bloody battle, it was at Monmouth that General George Washington relieved Major General Charles Lee of his command. Letters sent between the two officers clearly illustrate the tension caused by Lee's poor judgment in that fateful battle on June 28, 1778. Monmouth is also the battle at which Mary Hays ("Molly Pitcher") gained fame by carrying water and ammunition to a cannon in Proctor's Pennsylvania artillery.

Monmouth Battlefield State Park's 1,818 acres contain an extremely diverse archaeological history. Besides the Battle of Monmouth, the park is also home to Camp Vredenberg (a Civil War training camp) active from 1862 - 1864, the 18th century Parsonage farmstead, and a number of major Native American camps dating back to the paleolithic period.

IIn addition to working at Monmouth Battlefield, BRAVO helps finance its activities through contract archaeology, working with many archaeologists and giving us many unique opportunities to get a first-hand look into the past.

NOTE: Unfortunatly BRAVO's membership has reached maximum capacity. We are not currently accepting any new members.

Tour our web site to witness some of the exciting discoveries we have made at Monmouth Battlefield and other interesting sites in New Jersey. Take a look at how our finds are continuing to rewrite the history of this famous Revolutionary War battle - step back in time to a more accurate account of the Battle of Monmouth.

Want to know more? History buffs will enjoy our list of RelatedLinks to other history and archaeology sites, and our Great Read section gives you a list of books that will make you an expert!

Monmouth Battlefield State Park is a state historic site and is also on the National Historic Register. Removal of artifacts from Monmouth Battlefield is illegal. BRAVO is working with the State of New Jersey on a permit basis. All artifacts found are the property of the State of New Jersey.

Research Grant:

BRAVO is pleased to announce the winners of this year's Research Grant. Follow the link below for the results.

The Barton research grant is for $500

for a graduate student conducting research on any aspect of Military History or Archaeology.

This year it was awarded to Colin Parkman of University of Huddersfield , UK. Colin is currently engaged on a PhD thesis on early modern bullets and impact effects. He is conducting a number of live firing experiments. Successful completion should provide useful models to help understand a range of early modern battles.

Dr. Richard Veit will be giving a talk at the August 7th meeting. His presentation is entitled "Searching for the “Lighthouse Fort and the Refugee Town” on Sandy Hook, A Story of Archaeological Research" The abstract for which can be viewed at the link below.